Media Picks Eastern Third in Preseason Poll

Oct 18, 2012

Eagles are chosen by the coaches to finish sixth as the Big Sky
Conference preseason picks are announced

The Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team,
under the direction of second-year head coach Jim
Hayford, has been picked to finish as high as third in the
2012-13 Big Sky Conference preseason men’s basketball polls
released Thursday (Oct. 18).

The media have picked the Eagles to finish third, and the
coaches selected Eastern sixth. Defending Big Sky champion Montana
has been selected first in both polls.

Eastern finished the 2011-12 season 15-17 overall and was 8-8 in
Big Sky Conference play to finish fourth, and the Eagles hosted and
won their first Big Sky Conference Tournament game since 2006.
Eastern improved by five victories from the year before, as the
Eagles equaled their most wins since Eastern made its first-ever
NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004.

“We want to stand by the same goal we put out there last
year – we want to be a perennial postseason team,”
Hayford said. “When you look at the Big Sky Conference and
you talk of teams in the postseason mix, we want Eastern Washington
to be in it.”

The 2013 Big Sky Championship will consist of the top seven
teams from the regular-season standings. The championship will be
played March 14-16 at the site of the regular-season champion. The
No. 1 seed will receive a bye to the semifinals. There will be
three first-round games on Thursday, March 14.

Teams will play 20 conference games this season in a true double
round-robin format. While some schools begin their seasons Nov. 9,
Eastern opens the next day at Washington State. The Eagles also
play an exhibition game against Concordia (Ore.) on Sunday, Nov. 4
at 3:30 p.m.

After losing four seniors to graduation from his first Eastern
team, Hayford’s 2012-13 squad will return two starters and
four other returning letterwinners. His team also includes three
players who redshirted last season – featuring a pair of NCAA
Division I transfers – with six newcomers rounding out his
squad.

“Whether it’s a rebuilding year, a strong year or a
team with a young roster, we want to be a part of the postseason
and that hasn’t changed,” said Hayford. “Last
year the team and fans were excited to host and win a postseason
game for the first time in a long time. That goal remains the
same.”

The Grizzlies received eight first-place votes and 98 total
points in the coaches’ poll, and 24 first-place votes and 344
points in the media poll. Weber State, which lost to Montana in the
Big Sky Championship game, was selected second in both polls. Randy
Rahe’s Wildcats earned three first-place votes from the
coaches and 92 total points. Eight media members selected Weber
State first, and the Wildcats earned 318 points from the media.

Northern Colorado was selected third by the coaches and fourth
by the media. League newcomer North Dakota could make a splash --
the coaches selected UND fourth, while the media picked it sixth.
North Dakota played in the Great West Conference last season and
finished 17-15.

Portland State was picked to finish fifth in both polls, and
Sacramento State was picked to finish seventh in the coaches’
poll and eighth in the media poll. Montana State was picked seventh
in the media poll and eighth in the coaches’ poll. Rounding
out both polls were Idaho State, Southern Utah and Northern
Arizona. All three teams feature new coaches this season.